Barranco Municipal Park

You've reached Barranco, Lima's most bohemian neighbourhood. This park is its main square, and around it you can see how a fishing village became the summer retreat of Lima's elite.

1A light in the fog

Barranco began as a fishermen's hamlet. Legend has it that some fishermen lost in the winter fog found the shore by following a light that turned out to be a cross, and that the spot became a place of pilgrimage. The district was officially created on 26 October 1874.

2Summer homes, trams and a fire

In the 19th century, wealthy Lima families built ranchos and summer mansions here, many in European style, to spend the hot months by the sea. On 14 January 1881, after the Battle of Chorrillos, Chilean troops looted and burned the town. Barranco was rebuilt and, in the 20th century, drew writers, musicians and artists.

The park took shape in the late 19th century. The red and white building once housed the town hall and is now the library. To the north stands the church of La Santísima Cruz, a parish since 1903, whose name recalls the cross of the legend.

In the middle, above a reflecting pool, a marble figure represents a Danaid, one of the fifty daughters of Danaus in Greek mythology.

3What to look for

• The library with its little tower and clock.
• The marble Danaid above the pool.
• The mansions nearby, with balconies and bright colours.